Weighting device for game club including tapered shaft

ABSTRACT

A warm-up weight for athletic implements such as golf clubs having an enlarged head with a tapered stub having its point of smallest diameter connected to a tapered shaft having its narrower end connected to the stub. The warm-up weight includes a rigid generally annular core having a compressible casing thereon and including an axial passage and a generally radial channel permitting insertion of the weight onto the implement. In use, the narrower end of the tapered shaft is passed through the radial channel into the axial passage, the weight is slid down along the tapered stub into frictional engagement therewith, and the weight is rotated approximately 90*.

United States Patent [191 Goudreau 51 Feb. 13, 1973 [5 1 WEIGHTINGDEVICE FOR GAME 3,647,220 3/1972 Burkalt ..273/l94 A CLUB INCLUDINGTAPERED SHAFT [75] Inventor: Noel G. Goudreau, Kankakee, lll. PrimaryExammernGeol-ge Marlo Attorney-Max Dressler et al. [73] Assignee:Goudreau-Behan Incorporated 221 Filed: Jan. 7, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT Awarm-up weight for athletic implements such as golf 21 A l. N 216 26 1pp 0 clubs having an enlarged head with a tapered stub having its pointof smallest diameter connected to a [52] US. Cl. ..273/194 A, 273/29 Ata ered shaft having its narrower end connected to the [51] Int. Cl...A63b 69/36 tub, The warm-up weight includes a rigid generally Field ofSearch annular core having a compressible casing thereon 29 A andincluding an axial passage and a generally radial channel permittinginsertion of the weight onto the References Cited implement. In use, thenarrower end of the tapered UNlTED STATES PATENTS shaft 15 passedthrough the rad1 al channel into the axial passage, the weight is Sllddown along the 2,608,409 8/1952 Pinkerton ..273/194 R tapered stub intofrictional engagement therewith, and 3,458,203 7/1969 Mangis ..273/194 Athe weight is rotated approximately 90. 3,508,748 4/1970 Strimel..273/26 B 3,521,883 7/1970 Hamilton ..273/26 B 5 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures WEIGHTING DEVICE FOR GAME CLUB INCLUDING TAPERED SHAFTBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to warm-upweights for athletic implements of the type having an enlarged headhaving a tapered stub at its point of smallest diameter connected to ashaft, the free end of which is no smaller than the end connected to thestub.

Various types of warm-up weights are in existence and are designed toadd weight to an athletic implement to facilitate the athlete's warmingup exercise.

Such warm-up weights are utilized as an alternative to the formerpractice of swinging a club, bat or other implement which is itselfweighted or of swinging a plurality of such athletic implements.Swinging more than a single implement precludes the natural and normalswinging motion while the weighted implement itself is expensive, andalso may not be swung naturally.

One of the most well-known warm-up weights is the generally toroidalweight utilized in baseball. The baseball weight is adapted to be passedover the narrow end of the baseball bat to be slid to engage theenlarged end of the bat and be retained thereon by centrifugal force.

In certain types of athletic implements, this type of closed toroid isnot suitable because the free end of the implement shaft is not smallerthan the other end thereof, the prime example being a golf club.

One known way of weighting the end of a golf club is to use a weightedhead cover which may be placed over the golf club head.

One device specifically adapted for golf clubs is disclosed in PinkertonUS. Pat. No. 2,608,409, dated Aug. 26, I952. The weight disclosed in thePinkerton patent contemplates a resilient body having a flaring axialbore the lower portion thereof being larger than the upper portion. Anarrow radial slit is formed in the body to provide access therethroughto the axial bore. The width of this thin slit or incision is less thanthe diameter of the shaft onto which the shaft is to be inserted. As aresult, this resilient weight is placed on the club by applying atangential force to the opposite sides of the thin slit to open the slitsufficiently to slip the weight over the shaft.

This configuration is deficient in that it requires the application ofsubstantial force to permit insertion of the weight onto the shaft. Thisrequirement is self defeating since it eliminates any convenienceassociated with such weight and restricts the use thereof.

As an alternative, Pinkerton proposes the use of a device which would behinged and would require a fastening strap across the slit to hold thehinged section of the device in place. All of this detracts from thenecessary convenience in the use of such a weight and concurrently addsto its cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention thereis provided a warm-up weight which may be readily inserted onto anathletic club, or implement with which it is to be used without theapplication of any particular excessive force and without the use ofadditional retaining means or additional structural elements.

The warm-up weight of the present invention is disclosed as being agenerally annular structure defining an axial passage therethrough. Theannular body is discontinuous and defines a radial channel extendingfrom its outer surface to the axial passage to provide access to thepassage through the body.

The weighted body incorporates a generally hard, rigid core memberencased within a thin somewhat elastic compressible thin casing utilizedfor decorative purposes and to eliminate damage to the implement ontowhich the weight is placed. The width of the channel formed by thediscontinuity in the hard core member is greater than the diameter ofthe shaft onto which the weighted weight is to be inserted.

The width of the channel of the encased weight may be constant orvariable, and may be slightly less, substantially equal to or slightlylarger than the diameter of the shaft. For example, the channel may beformed by opposed convex surfaces whereby the opposite ends of thechannel are wider than the diameter of the shaft, and the minimum widthintermediate the ends of the channel is somewhat less than the diameterof the shaft.

In operation, the weight is inserted onto the shaft by passing thechannel across the shaft to position the shaft within the axial passage.The weight is then shifted axially onto the tapered stub of the head androtated thereon to insure adequate frictional engagement therebetween.

In neither embodiment, is it necessary to apply any tangential force tothe opposite sides of the channel in order to attach the weight to theshaft.

It has been found generally, that the frictional engagement between thepassage defining surfaces of the annular weight combined with thefrictional engagement of the weight with the tapered stub and thecentrifugal force exerted during swinging of the club is sufficient toretain the weight in place.

Thus, there is provided a simple inexpensive convenient warm-up weightwhich may be conveniently positioned onto an implement with a minimaleffort, and which is of a size to be retained in a pocket or convenientstorage compartment.

Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention willbecome readily apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention and of one embodiment thereof, from the claims and from theaccompanying drawings in which each and every detail shown is fully andcompletely disclosed as a part of this specification, in which likenumerals refer to like parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspectiveview showing the method of inserting the weight of the present inventiononto a golf club;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one embodiment of the weight of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While this invention is susceptibleof embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawingsand will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of theinvention and modifications thereof,

with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be consideredas an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is notintended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. Thescope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

A warm-up weight of the present invention is shown as a generallyannular body 12 defining a generally axial passage 14 therethrough. Theannular body 12 is discontinuous to define a generally radial channel 16providing access to the axial passage 14.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 3, the body includes a hard rigid core 18,which is circular in cross-section, and which is encased within a thincompressible elastic casing 20.

The discontinuous surfaces 22, 24 of the core 18 define the generallyradial channel 16 and are generally parallel to each other to define achannel of constant width greater than the diameter of the narrow end ofthe shaft. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the opposed surface 26, 28of the casing covering the opposed surfaces 22, 24 of the core 18 arealso parallel to each other whereby the radial channel 16 remains ofconstant width.

In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 4 the radial channel 16a betweenthe opposed surfaces 22, 24 of the core member 18 may be substantiallythe same as in the embodiment of FIG. 2. However, the portion of thecasing in the channel 16a defines a pair of opposed convex arcuatesurfaces 30, 32 in which the opposite ends of the channel have a greaterwidth than the intermediate portion thereof.

In this alternative embodiment, the compressible elastic casing permitsthe passage of the shaft therethrough even though the minimal width maybe less than the diameter of the shaft. As seen in FIG. 4, the desiredconfiguration may be obtained by disposing a soft shaped pad 34 on theopposed surfaces 22, 24 of the core 18 with the casing formed thereover.

In use, the radial channel 16 is passed over the narrowest portion 36 ofthe shaft 38 of an implement shown in FIG. 1 as a golfclub until theshaft portion 36 is disposed within the axial passage 14. The weight isthen dropped onto the tapered stub 40 of the club head 42 to makefrictional engagement therewith. The frictional engagement is improvedby rotating the weight approximately 90 as shown to insure the desiredcontact therebetween.

Although the alternative embodiment of FIG. 4 in which the minimal widthof the radial channel is less than the diameter of the shaft, wouldpreclude inadvertent separation of the weight from the club duringwarm-up, it has been found that the configuration of FIG. 2 issatisfactory because of the frictional engagement as well as thecentrifugal force occurring during the swinging of the club retains theweight in place.

The weight is removed simply by lifting it upward off the tapered stub40 until it is in line with the narrow shaft portion 36 at which pointit may be shifted radially to pass the shaft through the radial channel.

lclaim:

l. A warm-up weight for use with an athletic implement of the typehaving an enlarged head with a tapered stub and a tapered shaft havingits narrower end connected to the stub comprising a generally rigid hardannular core having a com ressible casing thereon; said coated corebeing dlscon muous to define a generally radial channel therein toprovide access to the axial passage thereof; the width of said radialchannel being selected to permit passage thereof past the shaft of saidathletic implement, the diameter of the axial passage of said annularweight being greater than the diameter of the narrower end of said shaftbut less than at least a portion of said tapered stub; whereby saidweight is adapted to be frictionally retained on said tapered stub.

2. The weight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the width of the radialchannel defined by the uncoated rigid core member is greater than thediameter of the narrower end of the shaft adjacent said tapered stub.

3. The weight as claimed in claim 2 wherein the width of the radialchannel of the coated core is substantially equal to the diameter of thenarrower end of said shaft adjacent said tapered stub.

4. The weight as claimed in claim 2 wherein the width of the inner andouter ends of said radial channel of the coated core is at least asgreat as the diameter of the narrower end of said shaft adjacent saidtapered stub with at least a portion of said radial channel between saidends having a width less than the diameter of said narrower shaft end,whereby said coating is compressed during insertion of the body ontosaid shaft.

5. A weight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the configuration of said corein cross section is generally circular.

1. A warm-up weight for use with an athletic implement of the typehaving an enlarged head with a tapered stub and a tapered shaft havingits narrower end connected to the stub comprising a generally rigid hardannular core having a compressible casing thereon; said coated corebeing discontinuous to define a generally radial channel therein toprovide access to the axial passage thereof; the width of said radialchannel being selected to permit passage thereof past the shaft of saidathletic implement, the diameter of the axial passage of said annularweight being greater than the diameter of the narrower end of said shaftbut less than at least a portion of said tapered stub; whereby saidweight is adapted to be frictionally retained on said tapered stub.
 1. Awarm-up weight for use with an athletic implement of the type having anenlarged head with a tapered stub and a tapered shaft having itsnarrower end connected to the stub comprising a generally rigid hardannular core having a compressible casing thereon; said coated corebeing discontinuous to define a generally radial channel therein toprovide access to the axial passage thereof; the width of said radialchannel being selected to permit passage thereof past the shaft of saidathletic implement, the diameter of the axial passage of said annularweight being greater than the diameter of the narrower end of said shaftbut less than at least a portion of said tapered stub; whereby saidweight is adapted to be frictionally retained on said tapered stub. 2.The weight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the width of the radial channeldefined by the uncoated rigid core member is greater than the diameterof the narrower end of the shaft adjacent said tapered stub.
 3. Theweight as claimed in claim 2 wherein the width of the radial channel ofthe coated core is substantially equal to the diameter of the narrowerend of said shaft adjacent said tapered stub.
 4. The weight as claimedin claim 2 wherein the width of the inner and outer ends of said radialchannel of the coated core is at least as great as the diameter of thenarrower end of said shaft adjacent said tapered stub with at least aportion of said radial channel between said ends having a width lessthan the diameter of said narrower shaft end, whereby said coating iscompressed during insertion of the body onto said shaft.